Automatic surgical irrigator



Feb. 20, 1951 BAY 2,542,461

AUTOMATIC SURGICAL IRRIGA TOR Filed June 20, 1949 Fig. 7

1 v 3 I 5 3 l6 Inrentor Frank N. Bay

Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC SURGICAL IRRIGATOR Frank N. Bay, Albia, Iowa Application June 20, 1949, Serial No. 100,190

2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic surgical irrigators for use in the constant irrigation of a wound, incision or the like without requiring the presence of an attendant.

An important object of the invention is to provide an irrigator of this character which is automatic in its action to constantly irrigate a wound or incision over a prolonged period of time.

A further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eflicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view; and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a supply tank provided at its bottom with a neck 6 to which a control valve I is threadedly attached and provided with a conventional type of rotary or barrel valve 8, such as a petcock or the like by means of which the volume of liquid passing through the valve may be regulated. The lower end of valve I is provided with a tapered nozzle 9 having an orifice or outlet Ill at its lower end for the discharge of liquid from the nozzle drop by drop.

The nozzle 9 is enclosed in a bulbous chamber II threaded or otherwise suitably secured to the nozzle and with a discharge pipe I2 extending downwardly from the chamber and to the lower end of which a cap I3 is threadedly connected.

The cap I3 is threaded on a storage tank I4 in the bottom of which a gooseneck pipe I5 extends upwardly into the storage tank I4. The inlet end of pipe I5-extends downwardly as shown at It and is positioned a desired distance above the bottom of reservoir I4. The cap I3 is formed with a vent opening I'I.

The lower end of pipe I5 is suitably connected to a receiving tank I8 also having a vent opening I9 in its top and an outlet neck or nipple 20 at its bottom to which an irrigating hose 2| is attached.

In the operation of the device, the supply tank 5 is suspended from a suitable stand 22 and filled with liquid and valve I opened to permit the discharge of the liquid from nozzle 9 whereby the liquid is supplied to storage tank I4.

From the storage tank the liquid is siphoned out by gooseneck I5 into the receiving tank I8 and then out through the tube 2| to a wound or incision to be irrigated.

Air vent I9 permits escape of air from receiving tank I8 so that it will not pass to the wound or incision.

Airvent IT in storage tank I4 admits air so as to control refilling of tank I4 which, when filled to the bend of gooseneck I5, automatically starts the flow again into tank I 8.

The liquid contained in storage tank I4 enables the siphoning thereof to continue for a predetermined interval after supply tank 5 has been emptied and until the latter has been refilled so as to avoid interruption of the irrigating action.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: g

l. A surgical irrigator comprising a supply tank, a storage tank connected to the supply tank below the latter, a regulating valve between the supply and storage tanks, a receiving tank below the storage tank, an inverted U-shaped siphoning tube in the storage tank and connecting the receiving tank to the storage tank, and a hose leading from the receiving tank.

2. A surgical irrigator comprising a supply tank, a storage tank connected to the supply tank below the latter, a regulating valve between the supply and storage tanks, a receiving tank below the storage tank, air vents in the storage and receiving tanks, an inverted U-shaped siphoning tube in the storage tank and connecting the receiving tank to the storage tank, and a hose leading from the receiving tank.

FRANK N. BAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 972,201 Kussart Oct. 11, 1910 1,885,218 Berman Nov. 1, 1932 2,027,588 Hannon Jan. 14, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7 a 8,817 Great Britain May 3, 1 894 

